Did you know the average family wastes 40kg of plastic per year? It has been great recently that there has been a ban on plastic bags announced for NSW, but that is only part of the issue. This ban doesn’t extend store wide and there is still a lot of plastic for us to focus on. Why do we need to buy our onions pre chopped and in plastic wrap, our butternut squash quartered or cubed and again in plastic wrap, or even loose fruit and vegetables to be hand picked by ourselves and placed in plastic bags?

This week, we are celebrating the end of a successful ‘Plastic Free July’ for many, as well as our finding the group ‘one million women’, whose mission it is to get one million women together to fight climate change, by encouraging you to not be scared of buying your fruit and veg pre-cut or loose, without plastic. One million women have come up with the below list to help you buy and store your fruit and vegetables without the need for plastic wrap. Check out the list below to find your favourite fruit and vegetables, with ideas of how to store without the need for plastic.

Also, given it isn’t a blog without a recipe, check out my recipe below to make your own beeswax wraps to use instead of cling film. They are perfect to reuse for up to a year and a great way of cutting down on your plastic waste. Enjoy!

Beeswax Wraps Recipe

Ingredients:

Thin cloth or muslin cut in required dimensions for your wraps

Beeswax

Baking Tray

Paint brush

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

If you have a bar of beeswax, grate it. You will need approximately 2 tablespoons of grated wax per 12″ square of fabric. If you have wax pellets, you can skip this step.

Put the cloth on the baking sheet and top with the wax.

Put in oven to melt the wax (takes approximately 5 minutes.

Spread the wax over the cloth with the paintbrush and hang the cloth to dry.

The wrap is now ready to use. Clean it in cold water as hot water will melt the wax. You can use for up to a year and then simply re-melt the wax to make another one. A great environmentally friendly alternative for wrapping your fruit and veg, sandwiches, cheese etc.

Fruit and veg storage tips without plastic

VEGETABLES

Artichokes ‐ place in an airtight container sealed, with light moisture.

Asparagus ‐ place them loosely in a glass or bowl upright with water at room temperature. (Will keep for a week outside the fridge).

Avocados ‐ place in a paper bag at room temp. To speed up their ripening‐ place an apple in the bag with them.

Basil ‐ is difficult to store well. Basil does not like the cold, or to be wet for that matter. Try an airtight container/jar loosely packed with a small damp piece of paper inside‐left out on a cool counter.

Beetroot ‐ Cut the tops off to keep beetroot firm, (be sure to keep the greens!) by leaving any top on root vegetables draws moisture from the root, making them loose flavor and firmness. Beets should be washed and kept in and open container with a wet towel on top.

Beet greens ‐ place in an airtight container with a little moisture.

Broccoli ‐ place in an open container in the fridge or wrap in a damp towel before placing in the fridge.

Brussels Sprouts‐ If bought on the stalk leave them on that stalk. Put the stalk in the fridge or leave it on a cold place. If they’re bought loose store them in an open container with a damp towel on top.

Cabbage ‐ left out on a cool counter is fine up to a week, in the crisper otherwise. Peel off outer leaves if they start to wilt. Cabbage might begin to loose its moisture after a week , so, best used as soon as possible.

Carrots ‐ cut the tops off to keep them fresh longer. Place them in closed container with plenty of moisture, either wrapped in a damp towel or dunk them in cold water every couple of days if they’re stored that long.

Cauliflower ‐ will last a while in a closed container in the fridge, but they say cauliflower has the best flavor the day it’s bought.

Celery ‐ does best when simply places in a cup or bowl of shallow water on the counter.

Corn ‐ leave unhusked in an open container if you must, but corn really is best eaten sooner then later for maximum flavor.

Cucumber ‐ wrapped in a moist towel in the fridge. If you’re planning on eating them within a day or two after buying them they should be fine left out in a cool room.

Eggplant ‐ does fine left out in a cool room. Don’t wash it, eggplant doesn’t like any extra moisture around its leaves. For longer storage‐ place loose, in the crisper.

Fennel ‐ if used within a couple days after it’s bought fennel can be left out on the counter, upright in a cup or bowl of water (like celery). If wanting to keep longer than a few days place in the fridge in a closed container with a little water.

Garlic ‐ store in a cool, dark, place.

Green garlic ‐an airtight container in the fridge or left out for a day or two is fine, best before dried out.

Greens‐ remove any bands, twist ties, etc. most greens must be kept in an air‐tight container with a damp cloth‐ to keep them from drying out. Kale, collards, and chard even do well in a cup of water on the counter or fridge.

Green beans ‐ they like humidity, but not wetness. A damp cloth draped over an open or loosely closed container.

Herbs – a closed container in the fridge to kept up to a week. Any longer might encourage mold.

Lettuce ‐ keep damp in an airtight container in the fridge.

Leeks ‐leave in an open container in the crisper wrapped in a damp cloth or in a shallow cup of water on the counter (just so the very bottom of the stem has water).

Onion ‐ store in a cool, dark and dry, place‐ good air circulation is best, so don’t stack them.

Parsnips ‐an open container in the crisper, or, like a carrot, wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge.

Potatoes ‐ (like garlic and onions) store in cool, dark and dry place, such as, a box in a dark corner of the pantry; a paper bag also works well.

Radishes ‐ remove the greens (store separately) so they don’t draw out excess moisture from the roots and place them in a open container in the fridge with a wet towel placed on top.

Rhubarb ‐wrap in a damp towel and place in an open container in the refrigerator.

Spinach‐ store loose in an open container in the crisper, cool as soon as possible. Spinach loves to stay cold.

Berries – Don’t forget, they’re fragile. When storing be careful not to stack too many high, a single layer if possible. A paper bag works well, only wash before you plan on eating them.

Dates ‐ dryer dates are fine stored out on the counter in a bowl or the paper bag they were bought in. Moist dates (like Medjool) need a bit of refrigeration if they’re going to be stored over a week, either in cloth or a paper bag‐ as long as it’s porous to keeping the moisture away from the skin of the dates.

Figs ‐ Don’t like humidity, so, no closed containers. A paper bag works to absorb excess moisture, but a plate works best in the fridge up to a week un‐stacked.

Melons ‐ uncut in a cool dry place, out of the sun up to a couple weeks. Cut melons should be in the fridge, an open container is fine.

Nectarines ‐ (similar to apricots) store in the fridge is okay if ripe, but best taken out a day or two before you plan on eating them so they soften to room temperature.

Peaches (and most stone fruit)‐ refrigerate only when fully ripe. More firm fruit will ripen on the counter.

Pears ‐ will keep for a few weeks on a cool counter, but fine in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening put an apple in with them.

Pomegranates ‐ keep up to a month stored on a cool counter.

Strawberries ‐ Don’t like to be wet. Do best in a paper bag in the fridge for up to a week. Check the bag for moisture every other day.

We have had an interesting few weeks, amidst ‘Too Tasty To Throw’ app development as we finalise the product, the triplets and our family are just coming off two weeks of gastro and one week of another virus. So, our mission has been to build our immune system to stave off further illness (at least whilst we get this app off the ground!).

Welcome the humble whole turmeric to our forgotten fruit and veg series. Many of you may use powdered turmeric, knowing some of its immune boosting benefits, but the whole root always seems a bit tricky…well, let us help you out. Our passion is to make sure nothing from the turmeric plant is discarded, as you don’t know what to do with it, and you receive maximum health benefits.

When it comes to using turmeric in your cooking, you have two choices – the punchy fresh turmeric or a more mellow powder. The fresh turmeric’s stronger flavour lends itself to smoothies and sautes, whilst the powdered version is easy to use for a pop of colour and less intense flavour hit in things such as rice, roasted vegetables and soups. Both the powdered and fresh form have significant health benefits but the fresh form doesn’t lose any of the plant’s essential oils and this means the health benefits are more readily available. This is also why it stains your hands when using, so be careful! It is very similar to ginger in handling and preparing, so make sure you avoid the dry and shrivelled looking roots and prepare it by peeling and cutting into cubes, matchsticks or grating. You can store the freshly prepared turmeric in the firdge in an airtight container for a few weeks or freezer for a few months. I prefer to grate and store in the freezer so I can easily add to a variety of recipes.

So, if we know how to prepare it, what are the benefits? Turmeric contains a wide range of antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also loaded with many healthy nutrients such as protein, dietary fiber, niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. Due to all these factors, turmeric is often used to treat a wide variety of health problems. These include:

Bake the potato in the oven until crispy on the outside and tender inside (roughly 40 minutes) Place the onion, garlic, kale into a pan with some olive oil and gently saute. Then roast the seeds in a dry pan. Grate the turmeric root into some greek yoghurt and mix to form a vibrant yellow spiced yoghurt. Assemble your meal…Baked potato, topped with the kale, onion and garlic, then a layer of yoghurt, followed by the crunchy seeds. And feel the benefits!

Turmeric and ginger tea

Turmeric root grated
Ginger grated
Lemon and honey to taste

Put all ingredients in a teapot and leave to stand for 3-5 minutes. Add lemon and honey to taste and enjoy!

We have written on using the whole beetroot before, including the oft discarded beetroot heads. However, given the health benefits of this humble veg, and the frequency with which we buy it red and ready cooked, we thought we would introduce you to the golden beetroot. This is to make sure nothing from the beetroot family is discounted, or more importantly, thrown away, as you don’t know what to do with it!

Beetroot actually comes in a variety of colours…red, white, golden or striped. The golden beetroot tends to be sweeter than the red variety we are familiar with and has a less intense earthy flavour. It shares the same benefits of other beetroots, with good amounts of fibre, potassium, iron and folic acid. It is second to sugar cane in terms of the amount of natural sugar it contains, making it a great energy provider, especially for endurance athletes. However, there are also some unique health benefits to the golden variety. These include a high source of vitamin C and A, beta carotene, lycopene, flavonoids and zexanthin, shared by many other orange and yellow colour fruit and vegetables. They also contain an abundance of fibre, phytonutrients and antioxidants.

So, if we know the benefits to provide energy, vitamins and antioxidants, how do we go about using golden beetroot?

As mentioned before, their sweet and mild flavour makes them pair well with cheese, bacon, apples, fennel, citrus, potatoes, shallots, vinegar, walnuts, smoked and cured fish. Their golden colour means they also look great and are perfect to pimp up a salad or as a quick and different side for a dinner party. It also means they are easier to peel and prepare than their red cousins – their yellow colour means there is no staining of the hands when peeling etc. Just peel as you would a potato and boil, or bake with the skin on for increased fibre.

If you are looking for some inspiration, try the recipes below:

Golden beet and beef stew

Stewing Beef

Onion

Garlic

Herbs

Bay Leaf

Golden Beets

2l of stock

Place the onion, garlic, beef and herbs in a pan with some olive oil and gently fry. Peel the beets (I left whole for aesthetic purposes) and add to pan with any other vegetables you have to use up. Add enough water to just over cover, bring to boil then transfer to the over for an hour and a half at 180 deg. Serve with some green veg and feel the energy and antioxidants picking you up!

Golden pickled beets

6 large fresh beets

2 cups sugar

2 cups cider vinegar

2 cups water

5 tsp salt

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tbsp whole all spice and 1 tbsp pickling spice

Put beets in large pan of boiling water and cook for 40 minutes until tender. Drain off excess liquid. Whilst beets are cooking, put all the other ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Pour this mixture into a clean jar and add the beetroots. The mixture stays fit to use for six months and you can keep adding more beetroot, rather than having to cook a new batch. Let each set of beets sit for a week before eating.

The app hosts more than 100 food outlets (check out their Instagram @tootastytothrow for a summary), and are adding more by the day. Each outlet posts food for a discounted price at the end of the day, that is still edible that would otherwise go to waste. About Life is part of this amazing opportunity to combat food waste!

Given this week is National Pain Week for Chronic Pain and other illnesses, we thought it would be a good opportunity to show some love to those of you suffering chronic pain and have a look at how using the ‘whole’ of your fruit and vegetables to reduce waste can help relieve symptoms….

Welcome the humble lemon peel. Costing just under $1 and easy to pop in your bag and carry around with you, its benefits are under appreciated. Indeed, the health rewards from drinking its insides (lemon juice) to help fight colds and flu and also to detoxify the system are well known. But did you know that the peel has up to 10 times more vitamins and minerals than the juice itself? It is rich in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene, folate, magnesium, potassium, pectin and fibre, that help your body to repair and heal and also they help relieve chronic pain. To elaborate, benefits include:

Fighting joint pain – Lemon peel is rich in vitamin C , with more than twice as much as the juice itself. Vitamin C has a healing action within the body and helps in the formation of protein that is important for the formation of ligaments, tendons and skin and to fight joint pain.

Relieving and repairing pain felt from injuries – Vitamin C present in bones repairs the damaged cartilages that connect bones and also help to heal wounds and relieve pain due to injury. Lemon peel keeps your bones, cartilages and even teeth in good health.

Fighting pain from a weakened immune system – Vitamin C in lemon peel also helps relieve the pain of sore throats and cold / flu and to boost immunity.

Reducing and preventing pain from various bone conditions – The high amount of vitamin c and calcium in lemon peels helps prevent and reduce pain from osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory polyarthritis and other bone conditions.

Fighting cancer and eradicating toxins – Lemon peels help eradicate toxic elements in the body, helping fight the pain felt from cancer by assisting in eradicating from the body carcinogenic elements and curbing the division of cancerous cells. Lemon peels consist of components known as salvestrol Q40 and limonene, which are known to fight against cancerous cells in the body. Also, the flavenoids in the peel are effective when curbing the division of cancerous cells

So, if we know the benefits to relieve pain, how do we go about using the peel? Well, it is easier than it might first seem. Simply freeze a lemon whole and grate over your meals, in your drinks and on your soups / stews for a zesty flavour and some awesome pain relief / other benefits as above. You can also dry the peel and add it to your meat marinades.

Also, for some inspiration, try the recipes below:

Lemon Peel Joint Pain Recipe:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 large lemons

Eucalyptus leaves

A jar with lid

Clean gauze

Place the peel in a jar with the eucalyptus oil and add enough oil to cover. Close the jar tightly and leave the mixture to sit for two weeks. After this time, add some of the remedy to some gauze and apply to the painful area – ideally overnight so it can soak in. You should experience benefits almost immediately.

Lemon Peel Tea Recipe:

1 litre of water

2 lemon peels and the juice

Bring lemon peel and water to the boil for 15 minutes. Then take from heat and add the juice and potentially some honey to taste. Great for pain relief in leg and arm joints.

Lemon Peel Marinade Recipe:

Zest and juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup oil

2 onions

2 garlic cloves

1 inch ginger

2 tbsp honey

Whisk ingredients together until honey is dissolved. Marinate your meat in it for up to 5 hours.

The benefits of eating the delicious green flesh of an avocado are well documented – a healthy ‘good fat’ packed with vitamins and antioxidants to support the skin, heart, blood, tissue and other organs. Also, avocados are one of our favourite foods here in Australia – a serving on toast eaten at a café has recently been blamed for young people not being able to buy a house, with indulging in the luxury being seen as too difficult to give up in order to save some pennies.

However, did you know that the avocado seed itself, which most would normally throw away, has more than 70% of the avocado’s nutritional benefits?

These include:

More soluble fiber than even top tier fiber providers, such as oats;

Antioxidants that help regulate intestinal function and have even been shown to help prevent tumours;

The oil within ups the amount of collagen in our skin and hair keeping us looking young; and

A great source of polyphenols associated with green tea.

Great source of calcium, magnesium and potassium

So, if we know the benefits, how do we go about using the seed? Well, it is easier than it might first seem. Simply cut the seed into quarters and process into a powder (more details below). If you dry out the seed, this gives the resulting powder a longer shelf life. This powder can then be added to your morning smoothie, lunchtime soup or evening stew. It is a strong flavour and so best served with other strong flavours. You can also use it as a condiment and grate onto your meals just like salt or pepper.

Avocado Seed Powder Recipe:

Remove seed and rinse

Place in the oven to dehydrate for 1.5-2hrs at 120 deg

Once cool, discard the outer skin and gently press seed into two halves and dice the halves again

Blitz the seed into a fine powder using a high powered blender

Store in the fridge in an airtight container and use a tablespoon at a time.

So, I tried the above process and it worked really well. I went on to make a smoothie – banana, coconut water, avocado seed, ginger and matcha. Attempt one was without the ginger and matcha. The flavor of the avocado seed is definitely strong and adding these made a great taste. Highly recommended – the triplets liked it too!

In addition, you can also put chunks of the seed inside a tea infuser, put the infuser in a mug and pour boiling water over it. It can taste bitter so you may want to add a little bit of honey or other sweetener! This tea is said to be great for stomach aches. You can also smash the seed and infuse it in olive oil for a week. Once filtered, this oil can be applied to itchy, sore skin. Perfect for the skin over winter!

Pumpkin is one of the most versatile of vegetables. It can be used in soups, stews, cakes, biscuits, as a spread for toast, a salad ingredient, seeds to top your cereal and skin to use for vegetable stock. The list goes on. However, sadly in terms of waste, it is much more common for people to buy pumpkin pre-cut or in quarters, using a lot more plastic wrap, than buying it whole. Buying and eating the whole pumpkin from skin to seed has so many health benefits, reduces waste and is a lot cheaper. These beauties shouldn’t be reserved for carving at Halloween. So, what can you do with a whole pumpkin?

Firstly, roast it whole. Anyone who has cooked with pumpkin before knows how difficult it is to cut. So, bypass the cutting and bake the pumpkin in the oven whole. There is very little prep work involved and the pumpkin is much easier to cut into after its been cooked. Simply stab the outer shell a few times with a knife to allow for ventilation and place the pumpkin on a baking dish to roast in the oven at 180 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on size. The pumpkin is ready when the flesh is darker, and the skin can be easily pierced with a fork.

Now for what to do with all that pumpkin:

The skin. Why not try making pumpkin crisps? Peel the skin from the cooked pumpkin and cut into crisp sized pieces. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes to crisp up. An alternative is to cut the skin into fine strips and use in a stir fry. YUM!

The flesh. Hummus with half the flesh and muffins with the other? Cut the remaining pumpkin flesh in half and scoop out the seeds from the middle. The flesh is so versatile but one of my favourite recipes is to blitz half a pumpkin in a food processor with a can of chickpeas, 2 tbsp of tahini, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 garlic clove and 1 tsp of cumin and whizz until smooth, for a lighter and healthier hummus. The remainder can be used to make healthy pumpkin muffins. Recipe here.

The seeds. Love peanut butter but want a sustainable alternative making sure you use all the pumpkin? Look no further…roasted pumpkin seeds on a multi grain roll or toast make a great breakfast or take to work lunch. Simply take your seeds and pull away any remaining flesh and rinse clean. Spread over a large baking tray. Add some olive oil and then salt and your preferred spices (fennel, chilli, pepper) and some olive oil. Bake at 180 deg for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Leave to cool. Butter your bread of choice and press into the seeds…delicious.

Now you know what to do with one, what are the benefits of getting as much goodness out of your pumpkin as you can?

Lots of fibre to make sure you feel full. Pumpkin seeds have 1.7g of fibre per 25g, while mashed pumpkin has 3g per cup with only 50 calories. This load of fibre helps keep you feel full.

Twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin A to help your vision.

Pumpkin seed oil is packed with phytoestrogens to help lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in tryptophan to help the body make serotonin to help you sleep better & feel happier.

Pumpkin and its seeds are rich in beta carotene and other antioxidants with cancer protective qualities.

All the fibre also helps heart health. Those eating a diet high in fibre are found in various studies to have a 25-40% lower risk of heart disease.

So head in store, buy a whole pumpkin & eat it skin to seeds!

In store for #PlasticFreeJuly we are selling our quarters without a plastic wrap on them. They may not look too shabby by the end of the day or week, but that doesn’t mean they should turn into waste. Take it home slice off the front bites and it is good as new OR cut it up, roast it and blend it then put it on the stove – VOILA, pumpkin soup!

We have been trying to incorporate one meat free night a week into our family meal plan. With a 6ft+ husband, hungry three year old triplets, and being a protein loving gym goer myself, this is not an easy feast. However, welcome the humble celeriac. Filling and nutritious, it is definitely worth getting the whole family on board as a celeriac lover sooner rather than later.

Celeriac has so many benefits. These include:

Prevents osteoporosis

Boosts immune system

Helps prevent Parkinson’s disease

Helps heart health

Helps to heal wounds

Supports healthy digestion

Helps maintain muscle and brain function

Reduces inflammation and arthritis

Maintains skin health

That all sounds great – but with a rather weird looking, it might be difficult to see how you use them easily in cooking? We are glad you asked, this is what we have found.

With similarities to celery and turnip, uses range from salads to soups to even peeling like a potato and turning into mash. To be more creative, a favourite recipe I tried this week is in a hearty take on Shepherd’s Pie. We could even freeze the leftovers to reheat when we next wanted to avoid buying more takeaway. A win-win.

So here goes… add some onions and garlic to a pan and fry with some leek, celery and thyme. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and any beans or grains of your choosing (black beans and lentils work well), with some vegetable stock and simmer until the beans are cooked and the sauce reduced. Meanwhile, peel the celeriac like a potato and boil in a pan of water until tender. Add a can of butter beans and some yoghurt and mash to a smooth consistency. Spoon the tomato and bean mixture into individual ramekins and top with the mash. Bake for half an hour or so in a hot oven until crunchy on the top. Serve with a green side salad or some green veg or the below recipe – time to use more celeriac. Freeze any leftovers once cool in the ramekins to make easy to reheat. Enjoy!

At About Life, next to these strange looking vegetables we place a recipe to take home with you, so you can buy the celeriac and try! You can find the recipe here. Plus doesn’t it just look divine (see below)!